If you are a gardener, or simply enjoy growing plants in your garden, you know how to prepare asparagus for winter storage. Asparagus is a tough, durable plant, and when frozen and wrapped tightly, it is even more difficult to break. Here are some tips for preparing your asparagus for storage during the colder months. Prune your asparage once the last harvest season has passed. Water your asparaguts before wrapping, and augment the wrap with a protective covering such as aluminum foil.
Since the asparagarten has not yet produced shoots, it will not be mature enough to bear fruit. If you want to harvest your asparagarten before it matures, you must take special care in pruning your plants. Asparagarten that have not yet produced shoots should be removed. You should leave behind the tallest and most mature branches, which are usually the ones offering the best flavor. As the cold weather approaches, your asparagarten plant will likely need to be dried out completely, so water it well before wrapping.
It is important to remember that just because your asparagarten is now dormant does not mean it is dead. As long as your container is warm, and the humidity level in your container is appropriate, your asperagus plants should remain healthy and dormant until the warmer months. Even if they have not developed any shoots, it is important not to remove the roots from your container. They will resume growing, and within a few months you will begin to see new shoots springing up.
When it comes to learning how to prepare asparagus for winter, there are two methods of drying that should be remembered. The first, and probably the easiest, is to use a light weight air-tight plastic bag. Placing your plant in the bag, and loosely securing it around the base and neck of the plant, the air will escape and the bag will absorb the moisture until next season. This method can work, but it can also be wasteful.
For the second method of how to prepare asparagustus for winter, consider using a pot. Place your plant in a large pot, fill with cool water, keeping it about one inch above the level of the pot rim. Placing some gravel on the bottom of the pot will help with draining excess water. Your asparagustus plants will now be ready for freezing. You will know because by this time the tips of the roots will be frosted.
During the first week of winter, as the asparagustus begins to harden, you can cover it loosely with a plastic bag and a few inches of gravel. The bag should be sealed at the top. This will help the plant resist cold weather much better. If the plant is left open during cold weather, it will not harden properly. This is how to prepare asparagustus for winter by keeping it closed in plastic bags.
In addition to keeping it closed, you can also use a cold frame. Just use a thin piece of plywood or aluminum foil, place it on your inside wall and drape it over the top of the pot. This will provide a barrier against cold winds. Once the asparagustus has hardened, you can cover the whole frame with a plastic bag and wrap it with gravel to protect it from winter frost.
Finally, you should water your aspargustus just before flowering. Watering it early will help it form deep roots. You should do this in the morning, while the sun is just above your horizon. For more information on how to prepare asparagustus for winter, visit my website.